Electric switch



(No Model.) 2 ShetsSheet 1. J J WOOD ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Patented May 3, 1892.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. J. WOOD. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

No. 474,050. Patented May 3, 1892.

Fla. 3,v I

INVENTOR: 4E 'Zid. By his Atzomeys,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. WOOD, or FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION" forming part Of Letters Patent No. 474,050, dated May 3, 1892.

7 Application filed November 3, 1891. flerial No. 410,728. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

for hand-switches usedcin arc-lighting circuits to throw in or out a loop or branch entering a building or including the lights upon a subscribers premises.

The class of switches to which my invention pertains is that known as quick-action or"snap-over switches, or those which when manipulated effect a rapid and instantaneous make or break between the respective contacts, so as 'to reduce flashing to the minimum and render the action of the cut-out absolute.

My present invention jintroduces certain improvements upon the construction of switch disclosed in my patent, No. 443,693, dated December 30, 1890.

p The s'witch or cut-out as improved by my present invention is simplified in construction audits operationv is made more certain as compared with the construction disclosed in my. said patent. r Y I Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a perspective view showing my improved cutout with the cover of the inclosing box re moved and-the box partly brokenaway to better showtheworking parts. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of part of the box with the-cover on. Fig. 3 is afragmentary front view showing the cutout with the cover removed, the left-hand portion of the inclosing box being in section. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the'line 4 t" in- Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is'a fragmentary front view, partly in section. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-section.

. Referringto the drawings, let A designate abase-plate,preferably of insulating material, slate being best adapted for this purpose. On this plate are mounted, all the operative parts of the switch. The base-plate and operative parts are inclosed within a box B, which may be made of cast-iron, the base-plate being fastened to the bottom or back of the box by suitable screws. The front of the box is closed by'a cover B, having in its'front an opening or window I), through which may be seen one or other of the Words On or OE marked on an indicatingplate D, as shown in Fig. 2.

.This plateis a common feature in handswitches orcut-outs for indicating at a glance the position of the switch. The box incloses all the operative parts except the handle 0,

which projects out through the bottom of the lating base-plate A. These standards constitute, also, the binding-posts for connecting the main-line wires 9 e, as shown in Fig. 3. Thus these wires are put into electric connection with the levers E E, which are of metal and constitute the connecting-plates of the switch. The upper ends of the levers are prolonged to make contact with one or otherof two contact-plates F and G. The two contact-plates F Fare in connection, respectively, with binding-posts g, to which are connected the wires ff 0' the loop or branch circuit, the connection of which is governed by the switch. The plates F F are constructed as parallel ears projecting from and integral with the standards 9 g, which are fastened to the insulating base-plate preferably by screws g passing through from the rear of the plate, as shown in Fig. 4. The contact-plates G G also consist of similar double ears formed integrally witha metal standard G which is fastened to the base-plate. The contact-plates G G andstandard G constitute, consequently, a bridge-piece having contact portions or surfaceslat its opposite ends to mak'efic nftactwith the levers E E.

When'the levers E E are tilted into contact with the plates G G, a current entering through one line-wire e fiowsthrough the corresponding lever E, the bridge G, and the other lever E, and out through the other linewire e, so that in'this position of the switch the loop or subscribers branch is cut out or open-circuited. When the levers are tilted to treme position to the other.

the opposite position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with their ends in contact with the plates F F, the current fiows from one lever to its plate F, thence to wire f, and through the loop to the other plate F, and out by the other lever E to the other line-wire e."

, The operating handle or bar 0 consists of a rod mounted to slide longitudinally through a sliding bushing formed. in a standard h, which is fastened to the base-plate A. On the upper part of this rod is freely mounted a cross-head or yoke-frame H, having openings through which the rod loosely passes. On the rod is fixed a collar h, and between this collar and the upper and lower end portions of the frame H are confined springsl Icoiled around the rod. It is to this frame H that the indicating-plate D is fastened, as shown in Fig. 2. To the wings or arms of the crosshead or frame H are pivoted or hinged two arms J J, the opposite ends of which carry studs on which turnanti-friction rollers'K K. As the rods 0 move up or down the rollers K K roll against the inner sides or edges of the levers E E, being pressed outwardly thereagainst by springs L L. Each spring L is engaged at one end by a-lug j, projecting into it from the arm J, while the other end of the spring enters a socketjin the lower portion of the frame H.

The rollers K K-are made of insulating material to preven tpassageof the current through the operating mechanism from one lever to the other. I prefer to make the rollers of porcelain, and to prevent them running oif the levers they are formed with a peripheral groove, which engages theinner edge of the lever, as shown best in Fig. 6.

The operation is as follows: While at rest in either position the outward pressure of the springs L L being communicated through the rollers K K to the levers E E- holds the latter firmlyin theirtilted position. When it is desired to throw the switch,the operator moves the rod 0 up or down, asthe case may be, thereby communicating longitudinal movement to the rollersthrough the medium of one of the springs I, the frame H, and the arms J J, The rollers thus roll along the inclined inner sides of the lovers toward the fulcrums thereof, and in so doing are caused to approach each other, and consequently to further compress the springs L L. As soon as the rollers pass over the fulcrums of the levers they act against the opposite arms of the levers and tilt them rapidly from one exv By this tilting movement the inclined edges of the lovers against which the rollers act are brought to the opposite inclination, so that the tension of the springs L L is effective to cause the this construction the switch is held in either position and is thrown instantaneously from one position -to the other, it being impossible for it to be left in an intermediate position. This construction obviates the possibility of the levers" being left in a position where the contacts will burn or arc.

I will now more particularly describe those features wherein my present invention is distinguished from the construction of cut-out box disclosed in my aforesaid patent.

The terminal contact-plates F F and bridge pieceGin my former construction were springcontacts consisting of two leaves or members, between which the prolonged ends of the levers E E are embraced. Distinct stops (lettered m 'n in the said patent) entirely'independent of the contacts F and Gwere provided for limiting the movement of the levers. According to my present invention I make the contacts F and G as rigid forks or parallel plates, between which the end of the lever may enter, and at the bases of the intervening spaces or bifurcations are formed abrupt shoulders m n, which serve to limit the movement of the levers E E, while also serving at the same time to increase the area of metallic surfaces in contact, the stop-surfaces thus constituting part of the contactsurface through which the current may flow. By reason of the formation of the levers with projections engaging the rollers at the opposite limit of their travel the stopping of the levers may also serve to stop the rollers. The bifurcations are made somewhat wider than the thickness of the levers E E in order to admit of the levers entering them freely, and to afford a good contact each lever is provided with a leaf-spring p, fixed to-it and having its free end overlying the contact end of the lever, so that this end of the spring enters the bifurcations with the lever, and by pressing forwardly against one contact-surface forces the lever backwardlyagainstthe other, so that a good contact is made -not only between the rear surface ofthe lever and the rear plate or fork of the contact-terminal, but also between the front faceof the spring 19 and the forward fork or plateof the terminal.

In my former construction the two levers E E were connected together through the menote only upon one lever and reacts upon the intervening frame or carrier H, since the two sockets j are separated at their inner ends by an intervening partition. It results that each spring is compressed independently of the other, thuszthrowing the levers more positi vely and avoiding any necessity for mechanically connecting the two levers together, as experience with this construction has shown that it is impossible for one'lever to be thrown in advance of the other.

In mysformer construction I provided concave runways along the inner sides of the levers, as shown at '11 in Fig. 9 of my said patent, thei=insulating-rollers K K running in these ways. With this construction there has been found some liability of thecurrent jumping or flashing across between the lever is. E andarm J. I now construct the rollers K K in such manner that the levers E E may be simplified by omitting the runways i 2', while at the same time I secure the advantage of utilizing the flanges on the rollers to serve as insulating-shields for guarding against any flashing; of the current across between the lever E and arm I. To this end the rollers f are made each with a peripheral groove which runs over the edge of the lever, the front and 2 5 back surfaces of the rollerv thus constituting overhangingflanges,whichprojectsufiiciently over the lever to lengthen and render circuitous the space through which an arc must pass. By my present invention the construction 0 of the binding-post is alsoimproved- My former pat ent shows binding-posts of ordinary construction having holes into which to thrust the ends of the wires and set-screws for bearing against the endsof the wires when insert I 3 5 ed. By my present invention I construct the binding-posts gand d as standards of cast metal, from which project integrally the rigid ears constituting the fulcrum connection in the case of the standards d, or the contact- 0 terminals F in the caseof the standards g. 'Across the top of eachstandard is formed a V-groove, as shown, into which the end of the wire may be laid, and the wire is pressed into the groove by means of a top plate or clamp- '45 ingvplate g, which is'drawn down against the wire by two screws entering the-standard. A m uchlarger area of contact-surface is thus as sured for engaging the end of the wire. Each binding-post has two holespassing completely '50 through it and-tapped for engagement:both

with the screws which engage it from the back tohold the post or standard fast to the I base plate and for the screwswhich enter from the front to clamp down the cap-plate q. The

' wires e f enter the sides of the box, passing obliquely upwardtothebinding-posts and di-' rectly in line with the notches'thereof. Theobject ofivturning the ends of the wires thus upward is to prevent any rainwhich'may fall upon do. the wires-fromrunning into the bo'x,-as might occur were-the wires introduced horizontally 1 or downwardly. 7 The wire's'pass through holesor socketst t, a bushing ofinsulating materialubeingfittedtightlyinthe socket. These ,bs-Ybushings arema'de a close fit with the exte- "-ji ior ofthe insulation and serve both to'm'ake gasnbstantimw weather-tight packing around the wire and to thicken its insulation where it passes through the iron box, thereby preventing any possibility of a current passing to the box. By reason of the holes being arranged directly in line with the groovesin the binding-posts it becomes only necessary for the operator to scrape the insulation off the end of the wire for a sufiicient length to he engaged by the binding-post, and then to thrust the end of the wire through the bushing it and sufficiently within the box to-introduce its bared portion into the groove 1n the binding-post whereupon by tightening down the screws holding the cap-plate q of the post the connection is securely made.

The operating-rod O passes out through an angular notch r, formed in the lower side of the. box, and when the coverB is applied" this notch is closed by a downward projection r, formed in the cover, which enters and fills the angular notch, as shown in Fig. 2. The

cover fits into a groove in the edges of the box and is designed to be cemented in with a little putty placed in the groove to prevent I moisture entering the box. l

I claim as my invention the following-defined novel features or improvements, Slib 'stantially as hereinbefore specified, namely: 1. In a quick-action switch, the combina-} tion of a lever of the first class, a grooved roller of insulating material'mounted to run along said lever with its groove engaging the edge thereof, a carrying-arm on which the roller is mounted, and a spring pressing against said arm to communicate a tension to the roller and press it against the lever, whereby the flanges of said roller overhanging the edge of the lever serve as insulating shields for preventing flashing or arcing between the lever and said arm. I

2. In a quick-action switch, the combination'of a lever of the first class, a roller movable along thelever pastits fulcrum, the lever formed with projections to engagethe roller at'the opposite limits of it's travel, a

spring for pressing the roller toward the lever, and forked terminal contact-plates the bif-urcationsof which are entered by said lever, and the terminal shoulders of the b1-* furcations serving as stops to limit the movement of thelever and thereby in turn to limit the travel of the roller while increasing the lever and arranged to enter with it the bifur cations of said contaots'and" to press outwardl y against one side-thereof while forcing the lever in contact with'the opposite side thereof, substantially as specified. 3

/ 4. In aquick-action switch,.the coinhina-= "tionoftwo levers of the first-class, an actuatin g part comprising two rollers novable along therespective levers to opposite sides'of their fulcrums, arms for ezirrying said rollers, a carrier to which said arms are connected, an operating-handle for moving said carrier, and two independent springserw ranged to press outwardly on the respective arms-and each reacting independently of the other against said carrier.

5. In an electric switch, the combination of a. box B, inclosing the operating mechanism and formed at;its,;. lower front' side with a notch a" for the passage of the operatingbar of the switch mechanism, and a cover B, fitting over. said box formed at its bottom with entecingnler extension 0", adapted to fill said, no f witnesses.

6 linen electric s v vitch, the combinetion of binding posts d d, conductinglevers E E,

of contacts to the other.

In witness whereof I havehereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing l JAMES J. WOOD. Witnesses:

E. J. HATHORNE, BR'AINARD RoRIsoN. 

